Сборник текстов и упражнений по внеаудиторному чтению для студентов факультета культуры и искусств, изучающих английский язык. Полторак Д.Л. - 9 стр.

it – do as you like; but quickly, please. I must begin my own work in                                        Part II
five minutes."
       To his surprise, she agreed at once. She had not thought of pay-             The money came on Thursday, and Mrs. Burtenshaw and her son
ing so much, but a thousand pounds meant little to a lady as rich as she    arrived on Friday. Меndozа asked the lady to sit down, but then paid
was – and her Charlie's political career was in danger!                     no attention to her: he was interested only in the son. The boy was
       "You understand," she said, "you must allow me to be present         about nineteen years old, Mendoza thought. He did not look at all like
when you speak to Charlie about his drawings."                              an artist, with his round head and round, almost colourless eyes. Even
       "It is your right," Mendoza answered. "If you pay so much, you       his nose was round. He was very frightened, and as he came into the
have a right to be sure that I’ll tell him what you ask and nothing else.   studio, he almost fell over his own feet. Mendoza took the drawings
But you must allow me to be careful, too. Today is Wednesday. To-           that the boy held in his hands, put them down on the table and began to
morrow, Thursday, I receive the money. You will come here the day           examine them carefully.
after tomorrow, Friday, with your son. Friday afternoon at three                    The subject of the first drawing was clear; it was a picture of
o'clock."                                                                   Gulliver when he opened his eyes the first time in the country of the
       He went to the door and opened it. A minute later, he was alone.     Little People. The man-mountain lay on the ground, with a hundred
He threw open the window. "The air in this room has become bad," he         little people around him, on his arms and legs and one even on his
said. Then he went to the telephone and called the number of Crumpton       head, looking into his mouth. Not an easy subject: a subject for an art-
and Company, the well-known lawyers in Bedford Street.                      ist, for a real master.
       "Freddie," he said. "Are you coming to have dinner with me this              Charlie had thought much about it; he had tried – how he had
evening? Good! Seven-thirty, as usual. I want to speak to you. A small      tried! But it was too difficult for him. There were mistakes everywhere,
conspiracy. I'll tell you when you come. Good-bye!"                         he had lost the battle.
                                                                                    But Mendoza saw something else, besides the bad sky, the
                              Exercise                                      wrong colour of the ground. He saw that in the whole picture there was
                                                                            the finest and richest imagination. And there was humour in it too, the
      Answer the questions:                                                 same humour that he had seen in the picture of the pirate. The little
      1. What did the woman, who came to Mendoza, look like?                men did not look like each other. Their clothes were not the same, they
      2. What impression did she produce on the painter?                    did not stand the same way and their faces were not the same, as they
      3. What was her attitude to painting?                                 pulled and pushed Gulliver. All of them were busy, all of them were
      4. What career did she dream of for her son?                          funny. The sky and the ground were not important: the people in the
      5. Did she realize that her son had a talent for painting?            picture said – no, shouted – that the person who had created them was
      6. Do you think she really loved her son?                             an artist with the highest and most powerful talent.
      7. Did Mendoza agree to help her?                                             Mendoza examined all the paintings and drawings and then re-
      8. What did he think of the boy’s drawing?                            turned them to Charlie. "Mr. Burtenshaw," he said, "I am sorry to say
      9. Why (in your opinion) did he ask so much money for the lie?        that your work shows very little talent. Of course, you may continue to
      10. Think of a possible end of the story.                             draw for your own entertainment, art can be a very interesting hobby.
                                                                            But you are hopeless as an artist. The best thing for you is to do as your
                                                                            mother says, and go in for politics. I have nothing more to say. Good-
                                                                            bye." He went to the door and opened it.

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